But what fans might not have known is that stepping into their respective roles on their respective primetime shows came with much fear. “I’ve never seen a 39-year-old, dark skinned woman who is not a size 2 be a sexualized role in TV/film ever,” said Davis, who stars as Annalise Keating on ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder. “But to say it was fear would be an understatement. It was bigger than fear.”

Davis went on to tell the women that she was “mortified” when she saw herself in the pilot episode. “I saw the fake eyelashes, I saw the wig. I thought ‘are you kidding me, who is going to believe this?’ My big aha moment was ‘this is your moment to not typecast yourself. To actually play a woman who is sexualized.'”

For Henson, her fear stepping into the shoes of Cookie Lyon on Fox’s Empire was simply: People might not like Cookie. “I got nervous,” she said about reading the script for the first time. “Cookie is so bigger than life. It can go either way. You can either love her or hate her. I was petrified. For me that fear meant it’s a challenge that I had to take on. If it doesn’t shake me up, then why am I doing it.”

‘Black Panther’ Sequel To Focus On Okoye & Dora Milaje?!

A Billi, A Billi, A Billi … when your movie nets a billion dollars OF COURSE there’s going to be a sequel!!

As Black Panther continues to dominate the box office, talk has already turned to a sequel. Marvel president Kevin Fiege confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that they will definitely be returning the Wakanda stating, “we absolutely will do that.” But when asked what direction the movie would take, his answer was intriguing:

“I think there’s lots of potential. It’s a balance between leaving people wanting more and then giving them too much, but I would watch a movie about any of those characters you just named. I think Shuri’s astounding, and you’ll see much more of her in our universe. Okoye, I think I’d watch three action films just Okoye. I’m not saying we’re doing that, but I’m saying that we’re intrigued by them.”